Children of parents with a drinking problem are more likely to drink in stressful situations, according to a recent Swedish study.
This new research by Anna Söderpalm Gordh furthers the already-supported idea that children of alcoholics drink more. It was published in the most recent issue of the journal Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behaviour.
Her process involved dividing 58 healthy people into two groups based on whether their parents had a drinking problem. The groups were randomly assigned to two situations, one of which was more stressful. Then, they were allowed to drink alcohol or a placebo, depending on which situation they completed.
“The results show that people with parents who have a history of alcohol abuse drink more than others when exposed to stress," Söderpalm Gordh said in an article on ScienceDaily.com.
She also said that people who are calmed by alcohol when stressed should try to find other ways of calming themselves down, such as relaxation.
JJIE also has more information and resources about youth and alcohol.
Photo credit: Clay Duda/JJIE.org.